Illuminated cigar lighter



May 2, 1950 J. o. THIBAULT ILLUMINATED CIGAR LIGHTER Filed March 22,1946 INVENTOR JOSEPH O. THIBAULT 2 ATTORNEYS Patented May 2, 1950text-ii Fad ILLUMINATED CIGAR LIGHTER Joseph 0. Thibault, Bridgeport,Conn, assignor to Automatic Devices Corporation, Bridgeport, Conn, acorporation of Connecticut Application March 22, 1946, Serial No.656,279

2 Claims. (01. 21932) This invention relates to illuminating devices forcigar lighters of the removable igniting unit type, wherein theremovable unit is carried or stored in a socket-shaped holding device.

The invention is shown as applied to a cigar lighter wherein the holdingdevice is clamped or held. in place by a sleeve which encircles and isthreaded on the said device. While a specific embodiment of theinvention is illustrated herein, it should be understood that changesmay be made in the construction and arrangement of the parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and purpose of the invention, the scope ofwhich is to be properly taken in connection with the appended claims.

An object of the invention is to provide an extremely simple andeconomical-to-manufacture means for illuminating the interior of theholding device of a cigar lighter, so that the device is visible in thedark to facilitate replacement of the igniting unit therein.

Another object of the invention is to provide an illuminating means asabove, in the form of an attachment which may be readily applied toexisting cigar lighter structures without requiring any extensivechanges being made therein.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a bulb-containingilluminating attachment for a cigar lighter holding device, whichattachment is quickly and easily removable for replacement of the bulb.

In accomplishing these objects a novel organizaticn is providedcomprising an open-sided shell releasably mounting a bulb socket andincandescent bulb, the said shell having tangs entering a pair ofapertures of the clamping sleeve of the lighter and releasably securingthe shell thereto for quick and easy removal without the use of tools.The holding device of the lighter has circumferentially spaced openingsin its side walls incidental to the forming of certain parts concernedwith the operation of the lighter itself, and these openings, togetherwith the apertures of the clamping sleeve, enable light from the bulbwithin the shell to pass into and illuminate the interior of the holdingdevice regardless of the final rotative position assumed by the sleevewhen it is tightly clamping the said device.

According to this organization, but a single change is required in thecigar lighter, in order to mount the said illuminating means, thischange being the provision of a pair of circumferentially spacedapertures in the clamping sleeve to receive the tangs of thebulb-carrying shell.

The parts constituting the illuminating means or attachment are few innumber and simple and economical-to-manufacture, and consist merely ofthe open-sided shell and the bulb socket with attached single-conductorconnecting wire. The shell is a simple metal stamping, and the bulbsocket is a cup having bayonet slots, and having spring separatedinsulating washers one of which carries a central conductor to which theconnecting wire is secured.

The arrangement is such that the socket and bulb carried thereby may beslipped into the shell and frictionally retained therein under slighttension exerted by yieldable side walls of the shell. Other yieldablewalls of the shell carry the tangs which secure or mount the shell onthe clamping sleeve.

When the open-sided shell is in place on the sleeve, the latter coversover the open side, and locks the bulb and socket securely in the shellagainst accidental removal therefrom. However, when the shell isreleased from the clamping sleeve, the bulb and socket may be quicklyand conveniently removed from the shell without tools, for replacementof the bulb.

Other features and advantages will hereinafter appear.

In the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is an axial section of a cigar lighter embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the illuminating attachment of theinvention.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1, theigniting unit being removed from the lighter and the bulb being removedirom the illuminating attachment, and

Fig. 4 is a rear end view of the cigar lighter and illuminatingattachment.

Referring to Fig. 1, the illuminated cigar lighter of the presentinvention comprises a holding device it, shown secured to an instrumentpanel 3!, the holding device carrying a removable igniting unit it. Theholding device in is in the form of a deep drawn socket or cup having anoutturned peripheral flange l3 engaging the exterior of the panel H, andhaving thermostatically controlled contact means M insulatedly mountedon the inside of the bottom [5.

The igniting unit I? comprises a body I5 adapted to slidably fit in theholding device ill, the exterior end of the body having a knob i1 andthe interior end mounting a pair of circular contact members [3 and I 9which are insulated from each other, the latter member being in the form.tially spaced on the sleeve.

of a shallow cup and carrying the spiral heating element 2t of the unit.

The thermostatic contact means is of the holding device is adapted toengage and embrace the contact cup 39 of the igniting unit when thelatter is moved deeper into the holding device from the position shownin Fig. 1.

For cooperation with the contact member l8 of the igniting unit, theholding devicev iii. has a plurality of fingers 2! formed in the sidewalls thereof by cutting U-shaped openings 22 in the said walls. Also,to provide clearance for the contact means id when the latter spreadsapart in response to heating of the element 29, openings 23 are providedin the walls ofthe holding device 10, the said openings merging with theU-shaped openings 22. r

The holding device Ill is secured in place on the panel by a tubularclamping sleeve 24- one end 25 of which engages the rear surface of thepanel H, the other end Zitoi the sleeve being of reduced diameter andhaving threads rolled therein for engagement with a threaded,- mes ingmeans 28thus enablesa user to. readily locate. the. mouth of the holdingdevice, Ill in thedark, so

as to facilitate replacement of the igniting unit [2. in the. saiddevice.

Accordingly, the clamping sleeve 24 is provided'with a pair of parallelslots 2%, Fig. 3, located broadsideto each other and circumferen- Anopen-sided shell is provided, having resilient side walls 35 terminatingin tangs 32' which are adapted to extend into the slots 29 0f theclamping sleeve, the said tangs having outwardlybent' edge portions 33which engagethe inner surface of the clamping sleeve 25 and function asretainers to retain the shell 3% on the sleeve.

The shell to is preferably formed of drawn sheet metal, having asemi-cylindrical top portion 34 and a closed semi-cylindrical endportion 35. The side walls 3! of the shell are separated from the endportion 35by slots 35, and are separated by slots from resilient sidewalls 38 which latter extend to'the end' of' the shell. The'side walls38, Fig. 4, are shaped to form a clip for receiving and frictionallyholding a tubular socket 39, each wall 33 being ofiset inwardly at 40,having a semicylindrical portion: 45' and: an edge portion 42 extendedangularlyoutwardly with respect'to' the cylindricalportiorr $5, and thesaid edge portions; constituting the mouth of the clip. The

side walls 3% also have tabs bent inwardly asshown, andthe-semi-cylindrical portion, 3% of the shell. has a. tabv 36: also bentinwardly, the

said tabs; being located: for. engagement: with the bottom' 55' of the;socket to locate the latter.

When the shell Ellis: in place on the clamping.

this purpose also, the side walls 3| of the shell 30. have shoulders :35for engagement with the outer surface of the clamping sleeve 24, thesaid shoulders cooperating with the end portion 35 of the shell toaccurately position the latter.

The shell 38 being of thin drawn sheet metal, the side walls ,3! thereofare resilient, and normally these side walls are biased outwardly oraway from each other, so that they have to be pressed together to enablethe tangs 32 to align with the slots 29 for insertion into the latter.When the pressure is removed from the side walls 35 they again springapart, thereby causing the edge portions 33 of the walls to engage theinner surface of the clamping sleeve under continuous pressure.

It will be noted that the shell 30 may be quickly and convenientlyremoved from the clamping sleeve Z without the use of tools by the mereoperation of pressing together the side walls of the shell while at. thesame time pulling on the shell to separate it from the sleeve.

Also, as. provided by the invention, the socket.

39 for carrying the incandescent lampt'l of the illuminating device isfrictionally held in the portion of the shell 30 arranged to constitutea clip, thereby enabling the socket to be quickly and convenientlyremoved from. the shell without tools when the shell is removed from theclamping sleeve 2a.. When however, the shell 38 is mounted on theclamping, sleeve, the socket 39 be locked in place by the walls of thesleeve, so that it is. prevented from becoming accidentally dislodgedfrom the shell.

The socket 39 is in the form of adrawn sheet metal cup having. bayonetslots 48. in its side walls adjacent the mouth, the. bottom 45 of the.cup having a large. central aperture -49 to permit entrance of a singleinsulated conductor wire 55 into the socket with substantialclearance.

Within the socket 39 insulating washers 5i and. 52 are carried, axiallyseparated by a helical coil spring 53. The washer 5f has a. metal eyelet5 4 secured in its opening, andthe insulated conducting. wire 50. passesthrough the washer 52 and is soldered. to the eyelet 54 of the washer5|.

The. compression. spring 53. normally yieldably holdsthe washers 5| and52 widely separated. However, when the bulb ll is inserted in the socket39 the tip 55 of the bulb engages the eyelet 5d and moves theinsulatingwasher 5! axially toward the washer 52, compressing the spring 53. Whenthe bulb 41' is locked in the bayonet slots 53, the compression spring53 maintains a constant pressure on the tip 55 of. the bulb, securelyholding the latter in locked position.

The end of the conductor wire is provided with a spade terminal 56. anda rubber insulating sleeve 51, to enable the wire to beconvenientlysafely connected to a source of current.

When the cigar lighter of. the present invention is mounted, forinstance, on the instrument panel I l of an automobile, thespadeterminal may be. advantageously connected with. the lighting system ofthe automobile so that. the wire 56 will be energized during. the timethat the lights of the car are turned on. This will cause the bulb M tolight, since a return ground circuit is provided for the bulb through.the socket tial amount of light will pass from the bulb through theslots to the interior of the clamping sleeve. This light will find itsway through the openings 22 and 23 of the holding device 10, and providesufficient illumination at the interior of the holding device so thatthe mouth thereof will be readily visible in the dark when the ignitingunit I2 is not being carried or stored by the holder.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided, according to thepresent invention, an extremely simple and economical illuminating meansfor use with an existing cigar lighter structure without requiring anysubstantial alteration to the existing structure. The only alternationrequired to accommodate the illuminating means 28 to the cigar lighteris the provision of the slots 29 in the clamping shell 24. Theilluminating means 28 is in the form of an attachment, therefore, whichmay be readily secured to the cigar lighter, the said attachment beingquickly removable from the lighter without the use of tools by merelypressing the side walls 3! of the shell as and pulling the shell awayfrom the clamping sleeve 24.

The bulb 4'! and socket 39 may be quickly and conveniently removed fromthe shell as, also Without the use of tools, since the socket isfrictionally held by a portion of the shell shaped to form a resilientclip. Thus, replacement of a burned-out bulb may be easily effected.

When the illuminating attachment 28 is mounted in place on the clampingsleeve 24 it is secured in such a manner that it cannot be inadvertentlydislodged, since the outturned edge portions 33 of the tangs 32 securelyhook to and engage the inner surface of the clampin sleeve 24, the shellbeing accurately positioned by engagement of the shoulders 46 and endportion 35 of the shell with the exterior of the clamping sleeve. Notonly is the shell thus securely maintained in place, but the socket 39and bulb 41 are locked in place against inadvertent removal due to aportion of the wall of the clamping sleeve 24 closing over the open sideof the shell 30, and due to the tabs 43 and 44 preventing removal of thesocket 39 endwise from the shell.

Variations and modifications may be made within the scope of thisinvention and portions of the improvements may be used without others.

I claim:

1. In a cigar lighter, a socket-shaped tubular holding device having aplurality of circumferentially spaced openings in the side wallsthereof; a tubular-shaped clamping member threaded on and surroundingthe holding device, said member being rotatable for clamping purposes,having light-reflecting inner surfaces and having an aperture so locatedaxially with respect to the openings of the holding device that lightpassing through said aperture into the member will pass either directlyor indirectly through at least one of said holding device openings andinto the holding device regardless of the rotative position of themember on the holding device; an elongate shell having a light-admittingopening in its side and having means including a pair of oppositeresilient side walls adjacent said lightadmitting opening and tangs onsaid walls for releasably mounting the shell on the cIamping member withsaid light admittin opening in communication with said aperture, saidside walls being movable towards each other manually to place said shellon and remove the same from said clamping member without requirin theuse of tools; a socket for an electric light bulb; and a second pair ofopposite resilient side walls on said shell shaped to form a clip forreleasably mounting the socket within the said shell, said second pairof side walls being spaced axially from and being independently movablewith respect to the first pair of side Walls.

2. In a cigar lighter, a socket-shaped tubular holding device having aplurality of circumferentially spaced openings in the side wallsthereof; a tubular-shaped clamping member threaded on and surroundingthe holding device, said member being rotatable for clamping purposes,having light-reflecting inner surfaces and having an aperture so locatedaxially With respect to the openings of the holding device that lightpassing through said aperture into the member will pass either directlyor indirectly through at least one of said holding device openings andinto the holding device regardless of the rotative position of themember on the holding device; an elongate shell having a light-admittingopening in its side and having means including a pair of oppositeresilient side walls adjacent said light-admitting opening and tangs onsaid walls for releasably mounting the shell on the clamping member withsaid light admitting opening in communication with said aperture, saidside walls being movable towards each other manually to place said shellon and remove the same from said clamping member without requiring theuse of tools; a socket for an electric light bulb; a second pair ofopposite resilient side walls on said shell shaped to form a clip forreleasably mounting the socket within the said shell, said second pairof side walls being spaced axially from and being independently movablewith respect to the first pair of side walls; and means at each end ofsaid shell for preventing axial entry or removal of said socket fromsaid shell, said clip opening in the direction of the clamping memberwhen the shell is in place thereon, whereby the socket is trapped insaid shell and removable from said shell only in response to removal ofsaid shell from said clamping member.

JOSEPH O. THIBAULT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,978,934 Douglas Oct. 30, 19342,144,376 Johnson Jan. 17, 1939 2,236,483 Bahr Mar. 25, 1941 2,419,950Johnson May 6, 1947 2,442,693 Jackson June 1, 1948

